Marketing “Bad-to-the-Bone” Beverages

Marketing campaigns for beverages can go to the extreme in competing for the customer’s (your) attention. Through the years, we have good-naturedly teased about some of the “super human/monster” beverage brand names. In 2016, we did a 180-degree turn when we blogged about 5-Hour Energy  such that our teasing became the inspiration for the slogan that still appears on the Watt-Ahh 16.9 oz. bottles today … “Natural Energy for Smart Brains”.

We are not saying that some “macho” in a beverage brand name is all bad. After all, we sport a lightning bolt on Watt-Ahh’s label to represent natural energy from donor electrons embedded in the pure water.

But a lightning bolt seems to pale in comparison with some of the in-your-face brand names that are currently winning awards from the beverage judges (as well as skyrocket customer sales). One example is a coffee product called “Death Wish Coffee”.

Last year, a spring water product came on the market that is called “Liquid Death”. It has the marketing slant that water can kill such as a surfer being buried by a huge crushing wave or someone being water boarded. The campaign says this product is a departure from the regular “yoga” or “sissy” bottled water.

With some reservation, we share this ruthless, dark comedy, bad-to-the-bone marketing video.  We have to admit it is eye-catching advertising and the video does tickle the dark side of our funny bone. Will we personally buy either a beverage or food product with “death” or “destruction” on the label? … no. Instead, we will continue to choose “liquid life”.